Device and method for cleaning articles used in the production of semiconductor components

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a cleaning device for use in the production of semiconductors components. Said cleaning device comprises two feed devices with which a fluid medium is guided across a respective surface of an object to be cleaned ( 9 ), especially an article used in semiconductor production so that different faces of said article ( 9 ) are simultaneously cleaned. At least two gas feeding devices ( 5 ) open into a cleaning chamber ( 42 ), supplying a pressurized cleaning gas. Said gas feeding devices ( 5 ) are provided with one means ( 50 ) each for directing a gas flow onto the surface of the article to be cleaned ( 9 ). At least two extraction means ( 53 ) are connected to the outside of the cleaning chamber ( 42 ) through which the gas fed to the cleaning chamber ( 42 ) is discharged. The article ( 9 ) can be introduced into the cleaning chamber ( 42 ) through at least one gap ( 56 ). At least two ionization means ( 52 ) are used to ionize the gas and the particles that are present in the cleaning chamber ( 42 ). One ionization means ( 52 ) each is mounted between a direction means ( 50 ) and an extraction means ( 53 ).

[0001] The invention relates to a cleaning apparatus and a cleaningmethod for the production of semiconductor elements, such as electronicchips, memory elements and the like, in accordance with the preambles ofclaims 1 and 20. According to a further aspect, the invention alsorelates to an apparatus for storing objects from semiconductorproduction, as described in the preamble of claim 14.

[0002] Exposure masks (also known as reticles) are used in thefabrication of electronic components, such as for example chips ormemory modules, to produce defined structures on substrates of thecomponents by means of photochemical processes. Since these structuresinclude interconnects in the micrometer or even nano range, and eventiny amounts of impurities on the substrate and/or exposure mask leadsto scrap, i.e. products which do not satisfy the quality requirements,an extremely high level of cleanness is required. Therefore, componentsof this type are produced under clean and ultraclean room conditions. Toprotect the exposure masks from mechanical damage and soiling, they arestored and handled in cassettes or in magazines which are sealed in anairtight manner.

[0003] Relatively large particles can easily be detected and removed.The problems are caused by smaller particles, for example withdimensions of 10 μm to 20 μm, which it has hitherto only been possibleto remove with a very high level of outlay. For this purpose, cleaningmethods have been developed in which a liquid was used to wash thesemiconductor production means or the corresponding components or theirstarting products. On the one hand, these cleaning methods entail arelatively high level of structural outlay in terms of the equipmentrequired to carry them out. On the other hand, the washing liquids usedhave to be reprocessed or replaced by fresh liquids. Furthermore, thefact that the cleaned objects are wet immediately after the process andtherefore have to be dried before they can be reused or processedfurther may be unsatisfactory.

[0004] However, it has been found that, despite these measures, it isnot possible to avoid soiling of the exposure masks to a sufficientextent. Moreover, known cleaning apparatus have the drawback ofrequiring a relatively large footprint in semiconductor factories. Thisis disadvantageous in particular because relatively expensiveinstallations for producing clean room conditions have to be installedin the factories, and the costs of these installations riseproportionally to the size of the factory.

[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,156 has disclosed a surface treatmentapparatus in which different cleaning agents, namely an aerosol andanother reagent, are discharged from two nozzles onto a single surfaceof a substrate, which is disadvantageous in process engineering terms.According to U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,156, the reagent is extracted at adistance from the cleaning point without exploiting any geometry of thesuction operation.

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,474 has disclosed an apparatus and acorresponding method for washing a surface of a semiconductor productwith frozen water which is supplied from a water supply nozzle and a gassupply for blowing the ice particles formed off the surface of thesemiconductor product, which represents a combination of the drawbackswhich have been outlined.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,742 has disclosed a reticle cleaningapparatus, in which a gas supply device is provided in the upper regionof a cleaning chamber and a gate device and a conveyor device forsupplying the reticles are also provided. Since an apparatus of thistype—for design reasons since the reticles are secured in the cleaningchamber—can only be used to clean one side of a reticle, this has thedrawback of a large footprint if a second cleaning apparatus is to beprovided for the second side. The disclosure of an apparatus which isknown from JP-A 03 155 550 and in which a surface of a semiconductorproduct is inspected by blowing off foreign bodies and then observingthe effect does not go any further than the content of disclosure ofU.S. Pat. No. 6,055,742.

[0008] JP-A 04 151 153 has disclosed an apparatus and a correspondingmethod in which, in a scanning mode, a compressed gas is passed onto asurface of a semiconductor product which is to be checked in order to beable to draw a functional distinction between defects in thesemiconductor product and contaminating particles thereon.

[0009] JP-A 61 087326 has disclosed a method for cleaning X-ray masks inwhich an oxygen gas which is supplied is converted into atomic oxygen bya plasma, and in this way organic impurities on the surface of the X-raymasks are cleaned off.

[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,704 has disclosed a system for cleaning astatically charged surface of a semiconductor wafer in which a gas atwhich vibrations have been produced is passed onto a surface of a wafer,the static charging being kept to a minimum.

[0011] JP-A 55 134 851 has disclosed a mask-cleaning apparatus in whicha gas which is mixed with ozone is blown at right angles onto a surfaceof a drying plate, which is held in a drying-plate holder, in order inthis way to blow dust off the plate, the dirt-containing gas then beingextracted through outlets in the cleaning apparatus.

[0012] JP-A 06 168 864 has disclosed a cleaning apparatus in whichnitrogen is blown onto a surface of a reticle with the aid of a gasspray, dust being removed from the surface and at the same time beingdischarged by the nitrogen gas.

[0013] U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,392 has disclosed a washing and cleaningdevice for semiconductor products in which foreign particles are washedoff that surface of the semiconductor product which is to be cleanedusing a cleaning liquid, after which the semiconductor product is fed toan inspection device for foreign particles and then, if necessary, isreturned to the washing and cleaning device.

[0014] This is where the invention intervenes, being based on the objectof providing measures with which the levels of scrap caused byimpurities in the fabrication of semiconductor components can be reducedwith the minimum possible outlay. According to one aspect of theinvention, apparatus according to the invention is to take up theminimum possible footprint, and it is to be possible for the cleaning tobe performed efficiently.

[0015] Therefore, the invention proposes cleaning apparatus forsemiconductor component production, which is provided with two feeddevices, each of which can be used to guide a fluid medium over in eachcase one surface of an object which is to be cleaned, in particular of asemiconductor production means, so that different sides of the objectcan be cleaned simultaneously, at least two gas feed devices forintroducing a cleaning gas which is under super atmospheric pressureopening out into a cleaning chamber, the gas feed devices each having ameans for directing a gas stream onto a surface of the object which isto be cleaned, at least two suction means, by means of which gas whichhas been introduced into the cleaning chamber can be discharged, leadingout of the cleaning chamber, and a support being present for holding theobject in the cleaning chamber, in which apparatus the object can beintroduced into the cleaning chamber through at least one gap in thecleaning chamber, and gas and particles located in the cleaning chambercan be ionized using at least two ionization means, in each case oneionization means being located between in each case one directing meansand one suction device.

[0016] The first consequence of the measures of the invention is thata—preferably flat—object used in semiconductor production cansimultaneously be cleaned from two sides using a dry fluid—preferably agas—so that space and resources are saved.

[0017] The object is also achieved by the method described in claim 14,in which the object which is to be cleaned is introduced into a cleaningchamber of this type, a gaseous medium is passed onto a surface of theobject to be cleaned—preferably at an angle of less than 90°—and gaseousmedium which is deflected by the surface of the object is extracted.

[0018] According to the invention, unlike in previously known cleaningapparatus and methods from semiconductor production, cleaning is carriedout using a gaseous—and therefore dry—fluid. Surprisingly, it has beenfound that gases can also be used to remove soiling particles with ahigh level of reliability. With the cleaning apparatus according to theinvention it is preferably possible to clean semiconductor productionmeans, in particular reticles. Of course, it is also possible, however,to use the apparatus to clean semiconductor products or intermediateproducts, such as wafers.

[0019] In this context, it is preferred if a detection device fordetecting soiling which has been deposited on the objects which are tobe cleaned is accommodated in the same housing as the cleaningapparatus. The overall footprint required for the two functional unitscan be reduced in size, since they can use common components, such as adevice for preparing clean air, a joint electrical power supply unit andcomputer unit for controlling the functional units, a handling device,etc. The footprint required becomes particularly small if individualfunctional units of the apparatus are arranged substantially above oneanother.

[0020] According to a further aspect of the invention, a cleaningapparatus which can be used to clean the objects is integrated in astocker (storage device) for objects from semiconductor production, inparticular reticles. With a combined cleaning and storage apparatus ofthis type, it is possible to reduce the size of the footprint required,since in this case two individual functional units are integrated in acommon housing. Secondly, it is also possible for these functional unitsto use common components. Examples of these are once again a facilityfor generating clean room conditions within the housing, a jointhandling device, by means of which the semiconductor production meansare fed to the individual functional units and removed from them, or ajoint control computer. The control computer is advantageouslyresponsible for both control and management functions which relate tothe individual functional units themselves and control functions ofcoordinating sequences between the functional units. The controlcomputer is intended in particular to be responsible for managing theobjects which have been temporarily stored in the storage device and tostore information about these objects.

[0021] On account of the advantages of the cleaning apparatus accordingto the invention described above, it is expedient for an apparatus ofthis type also to be provided in a combined cleaning and storageapparatus according to the invention.

[0022] In a preferred refinement of the storage device according to theinvention, a detection device may additionally be integrated in thehousing and can be used to detect soiling which is present on a surfaceof a semiconductor production means. By way of example, a detectiondevice which is marketed by the applicant under the name “ParticleDetection System (PDS)”—and is therefore already known—can be used tocheck reticles. As the light-emitting element, this device has a laser.The two laser beams which it produces are guided substantially inparallel over the top side (glass side) and underside (pellicle side) ofthe reticles. If there are dirt particles on one of the sides, the laserbeam is diverted at this point. The top side and underside of thereticle are guided past in each case one camera, at a distancetherefrom, and the camera is used to measure deflected light. The sizeand position of individual particles can be determined on the basis ofthe intensity of the diverted light.

[0023] Further preferred configurations of the invention will emergefrom the dependent claims, the drawing and the associated description.

[0024] The invention is explained in more detail on the basis of theexemplary embodiments illustrated diagrammatically in the figures, inwhich:

[0025]FIG. 1 shows a side view of a storage apparatus according to theinvention in which a plurality of functional units are integrated in onehousing;

[0026]FIG. 2 shows an SMIF container with reticles arranged therein;

[0027]FIG. 3 shows a highly diagrammatic illustration of a detectiondevice;

[0028]FIG. 4 shows an exemplary embodiment of a cleaning apparatusaccording to the invention;

[0029]FIG. 5 shows a gripper of a handling device of the apparatusaccording to the invention;

[0030]FIG. 6 shows the storage apparatus from FIG. 1, in a simplifiedillustration of a further side view.

[0031]FIG. 1 shows a cleaning and storage apparatus 1 for reticles inaccordance with the invention, which has a housing 2 which issubstantially rectangular in cross section and which closes off theapparatus 1 on all sides. A plurality of functional units areaccommodated in the housing 2 and carry out various functions inconnection with the reticles. These include an introduction/dischargedevice 3, a handling device 4, a cleaning device 5 and a detectiondevice 6.

[0032] On one side of the housing 2, the introduction/discharge device 3has firstly what is known as an SMIF station 7, by means of whichtransport containers (not shown), which are known per se, can be openedand reticles arranged therein can be removed. The term SMIF is anabbreviation of “Standard Mechanical Interface” and denotes thestandardized transport containers which are customary in thesemiconductor sector. FIG. 2 shows a purely diagrammatic view of acontainer 8 of this type, in which the reticles 9 are arranged incompartments 10 of a magazine 11 of the container 8. The magazine 11stands on a baseplate 12 of the container, which can be closed off in anairtight manner by a container hood 13, so that in this state thereticles 9 are not exposed to the atmosphere.

[0033] The SMIF station 7 shown in FIG. 1 can in principle be of thesame design as the same applicant's station which is described inEuropean patent application EP 0 875 921, in the name of the sameapplicant. Therefore, the content of disclosure of European patentapplication EP 0 875 921 is incorporated in its entirety by reference interms of the design structure of the station described therein. Althoughthe SMIF station described in the abovementioned European patentapplication is an apparatus for handling SMIF containers for wafers,only slight adaptations are necessary in order to handle cassettes forreticles instead of wafers.

[0034] The SMIF station 7 is surrounded by a part 2′ of the housing 2which is close to the base. On a top side of the housing part 2′ thereis a stationary frame 16, in which there is a receiving plate 17 whichcan be displaced vertically downward from a position at the level of theframe 16 by means of a lift device 17 and vice versa. The frame isprovided with means (not shown in more detail) for securing the hood 13of an SMIF container in a substantially airtight manner, while thereceiving plate 18 likewise has means (not shown) for fixing thebaseplate 12 of the SMIF container 8. Moreover, the hood 13 can bedetached from the baseplate 12 by means of a mechanism arranged in thereceiving plate 18, and the two elements can be secured to the frame 16and the receiving plate 18, respectively. In this way, the magazine 11of an SMIF container 8 which is standing on the baseplate 18 can beautomatically removed therefrom as a result of the receiving plate 18being displaced vertically downward. The reticles 9 arranged in themagazine 11 are in this way introduced into the housing 2 of theapparatus toward a loading and unloading position. In the process, themagazine 11 is guided past a scanning device 19, for example a CCDcamera and/or a light barrier sensor, which determines in whichcompartment a reticle 9 is arranged. If appropriate, the scanning device19 can also be used to read an identification means, for example a barcode, arranged on each reticle.

[0035] On the same side of the housing 2 as the SMIF station 7 and abovethe latter, there is, as a further component of theintroduction/discharge device 3, a cassette station 20, by means ofwhich individual reticles arranged in commercially available cassettes(not shown) can be moved into and out of the housing 2 via a lock.Numerous cassette stations of this type are known per se.

[0036] With respect to a vertical direction, the detection device 6,which is provided with its own housing and the basic structure of whichis illustrated in more detail in FIG. 3, is present between the SMIFstation and the cassette station 20 above a central electrical powersupply unit 21 of the apparatus according to the invention. A reticle 9is arranged between two arms 22, 23 of a support, on a carriage which isnot shown in more detail and can be displaced in a horizontal X-Y plane.The glass side 26 of the reticle faces upward, and the pellicle side 27of the reticle faces downward. A high-resolution CCD line-scan camera28, 29 is arranged on each arm 22, 23.

[0037] Moreover, the reticle 9 is located in the beam path of two laserbeams 30, 31, which are directed in such a way that one laser beamimpinges on the glass side 26 and the other laser beam impinges on thepellicle side 27 of the reticle 9. Both laser beams 30, 31 run with onlya slight angle of inclination, and therefore virtually parallel, to anddirectly above the associated surfaces. Therefore, dirt particles 32, 33on the surfaces 26, 27 are located in the beam path of the laser beamsand deflect the laser beams 30, 31. The corresponding CCD camera 28, 29detects the deflected light 36 and—should this be of interest—candetermine the size of the dirt particles 32, 33 and their position onthe reticle 9 as a function of the measured light.

[0038]FIG. 1 shows that the cleaning device 5 is arranged above thedetection device 6 and is likewise provided with its own housing. Thecleaning device 5 has a connection 38, which leads from the outsidethrough the housing 2 of the apparatus 1, for gas which is under superatmospheric pressure, for example pure nitrogen, from a gas feed device39. The connection leads into two feed pipes 40, 41 which are connectedto a cleaning chamber 42. Moreover, the cleaning chamber 42 can beconnected to a suction means in a manner which is not illustrated inmore detail. Moreover, the cleaning device 5 is provided with a carriage43 which can be displaced along an X-axis (i.e. horizontally in theplane of the drawing shown in FIG. 1). The carriage has, as support forreticles, a gripper 47, by means of which a horizontally orientedreticle 9 can be gripped at one of its ends.

[0039] As can be seen from FIG. 4, the cleaning chamber 42 of thecleaning device 5 is formed symmetrically with respect to asubstantially horizontally running X-Y plane, in which the reticle alsomoves in the directions indicated by the double arrow 48. The cleaningchamber 42 is therefore composed of two mirror-symmetrically identicalupper and lower halves 42 a, 42 b, which each have an approximatelyconcavely curved chamber wall 49. In the region of an end of eachchamber wall 49, a nozzle 50 of the gas feed device 5 opens out into thecleaning chamber 42. Next to each nozzle 50 there is an ionization means51, the electrodes 52 of which project into the chamber. The electrodes52 are occupied by titanium emitters which extend over the entire widthof the chamber and emit positive and negative ions into the chamber. Theions are generated by a generator which is not shown in more detail andis connected to the electrodes 52.

[0040] At the other end of the chamber 42, a suction device 53 isarranged in each of the two chamber halves 42 a, 42 b and is connected,in a manner which is not illustrated in more detail, to the suctionmeans for generating a subatmospheric pressure. Between the two chamberhalves 42 a, 42 b, there is a gap 56 at both the front and rear ends ofthe chamber, through which a reticle 9 can be passed through the chamber42. Both a width of the chamber 56 (dimension orthogonally to the planeof the drawing in FIG. 4) and a height of the gap 56 (vertical directionin FIG. 4, i.e. parallel to the thickness of the reticle 9) are onlyinsignificantly larger than a reticle 9 itself. A diffuser 57 of eachsuction device 53 is located at the narrowest point of the gap 56, i.e.the location at which the gap 56 is at the shortest distance from thereticle. By way of example, a height of the gap could amount to at mostthe thickness of the reticle 9 plus at most 2 mm, preferably plus atmost 0.5 mm to 1 mm.

[0041] With the aid of the carriage 43 and its gripper 47 (FIG. 1), thereticle 9 in question can be guided through the chamber 42, so that thegas streams 58 emerging from the nozzles 50 can be directed onto anypoint on the top side and underside of the reticle (FIG. 4). The gasstreams 58 can each impinge on the corresponding reticle surface at anangle of incidence of approximately 30° to 60°, preferably of approx.45°. The two gas streams 58 are reflected by the top side or undersideof the reticle at a reflection angle which substantially corresponds tothe angle of incidence. In this context, it is preferable if a flowcomponent of the emerging gas which is parallel to the reticle 9 isdirected oppositely to the direction of movement of the reticle 9 in thechamber 42 during the cleaning process. Soiling, in particularparticles, which has been deposited on the top side or underside of thesurfaces is detached and entrained by the corresponding gas stream 58.

[0042] To prevent the particles in the gas stream 58 or the cleaningchamber from being statically charged and deposited on the reticle 9 orthe cleaning device, the ionization means performs an active ionization.This is to be understood as meaning that statically charged particlesare neutralized by the generation of positive and negative ions.

[0043] The gas streams 58 then move in an approximately wavy form towardthe diffusers 57 of the suction device and the gap 56. Both the kineticenergy of the gas streams 58 and the subatmospheric pressure generatedby the suction devices contribute to this movement. The gas is thensucked out of the chamber through the diffusers 57.

[0044] A further functional unit of the apparatus according to theinvention which is shown in FIG. 1 may be a storage device for amultiplicity of reticles 9. A storage device of this type may includecompartments, which are arranged in rows and columns, for receiving andtemporarily storing reticles. The receptacles may substantially be slotsinto which the reticles are pushed. In the illustration shown in FIG. 1,the receptacles may be located in front of and behind the Z axis.

[0045] As can be seen from FIG. 1, the handling device 4 of theapparatus 1 is arranged between the SMIF station 7 and the cassettestation 20, on the one hand, and detection device 6 and the cleaningdevice 5, on the other hand. The handling device 4 has a verticallyoriented linear Z axis 62, on which a carriage 63, which can bedisplaced in the Z direction and is only indicated in FIG. 1, isarranged. The carriage is illustrated in more detail in FIGS. 5 and 6.It can be used to transfer reticles to transfer locations 65 which arein each case installed in a fixed position in front of the individualfunctional units and to pick them up from the transfer locations 65.

[0046] The carriage 63 is illustrated in more detail in FIG. 5. It has asupport arm 66, on which a pneumatically driven gripper 67 for handlingindividual reticles 9 is arranged. Moreover, the support arm 67 can bepivoted through at least 180° about the Z axis, so that the gripper 67can transfer or remove reticles to or from all the functional units ofthe apparatus according to the invention. Moreover, the support arm 66can be displaced in the X direction along its longitudinal axis. Forthis purpose, it is mounted on a guide shaft 68 by means of ball sleevesand is driven to carry out this movement by a pneumatic cylinder 69. Thegripper 67 can therefore be arranged at different distances from the Zaxis. The gripper 67 has in each case two pairs of clamping fingers 70,between which in each case one reticle 9 can be gripped by side faces.Therefore, the handling device 4 is used to convey the reticles betweenthe individual functional units and to transfer them to these units.

[0047] Finally, as shown in FIG. 1, a device 71 for providing the cleanair, which flows from the top downward in the housing, and forgenerating the direction of flow of the clean air is provided above theZ axis 62. The air can emerge through slots (not shown) which arepresent in the base of the housing 2. Numerous devices 71 of this typeare known per se and are used primarily to discharge any particles whichare present in the housing 2 before they can be deposited.

[0048] The individual functional units of the apparatus according to theinvention are controlled and coordinated by a central computer unit (notshown in the drawing). By way of example, a functional sequence of theapparatus can begin by a reticle being removed from its cassette in thecassette station 20, the bar code of the reticle 9 being read and thisinformation identifying the reticle being stored in a memory of thecomputer unit. Then, the reticle 9 is picked up at the cassette station20 by the gripper 67, transferred to the detection device 6 and givenover to the latter. In the detection device 6, the reticle is inspectedfor soiling. The number, size and location of the particles on the glassside and the pellicle side are measured, and the measured values arestored in the memory as further information relating to thecorresponding reticle 9.

[0049] If the examination shows that cleaning is necessary, the gripper67 moves the reticle 9 from the detection device 6 to the cleaningdevice 5, in which the reticle is cleaned in the manner described above.Before the reticle is then either placed back into a cassette in thecassette station or placed into a compartment of the storage device, itmay optionally be moved back to the detection device 6. The effect ofcleaning can be monitored or checked by examining the reticle againafter the cleaning operation. Alternating cleaning and checking of thereticle can be repeated automatically until there is no longer anysoiling larger than a defined particle size. It is also possible for thereticle to be cleaned before a first inspection and only then for aninspection to be carried out in the detection device. If the reticlesatisfies the predefined cleanness requirements and is to be placed intothe storage device for temporary storage, the gripper 67 moves it to infront of a receptacle which has been predetermined by the computer unitand the reticle is placed into this receptacle. As soon as thisoperation has ended, information identifying the correspondingreceptacle is also added to the stored information about the reticle inquestion, so that the reticle can easily be found again. If the reticleis to be taken out at a later time, the corresponding reticle can berequested via an input device (not shown), whereupon the gripper 67moves to the corresponding receptacle, removes the reticle, takes it tothe introduction/discharge device and transfers it to this device, afterwhich the reticle is discharged. In the process, the reticle once againmoves past one of the scanning devices, which read the bar code of thereticle and record this reticle in the computer unit as having beendischarged.

[0050] With regard to the arrangement of the individual functional unitsin the apparatus according to the invention, it will be obvious thatnumerous variations are possible. It is also possible for some of thefunctional units shown in FIG. 1 to be omitted if their functions arenot required. For example, it is also possible for the apparatus to haveonly one or two transfer stations (SMIF station 7 and/or cassettestation 20) of an introduction/discharge device and a detection device 6in the housing. It is optionally also possible for a storage device tobe present in this housing. In this case, the reticles can be cleanedoutside the housing in a separate cleaning device.

[0051] In a refinement of the latter exemplary embodiment, a cleaningdevice may additionally be added to the introduction/discharge stationand the detection device. Apart from the storage device, this exemplaryembodiment may correspond to the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1.Finally, it may also be advantageous if, in the apparatus according tothe invention, all the functional units are arranged at substantiallythe same height. For this purpose, the apparatus may, for example, becircular in cross section and the functional units, apart from thehandling device, may be distributed substantially uniformly over thecircumference of the cross section. The handling device may be arrangedin the center, so that it has access to all the functional units. Inanother exemplary embodiment, the cross section may be rectangular andthe functional units may be distributed uniformly over the twolongitudinal sides.

1. A cleaning apparatus for semiconductor component production, which isprovided with two feed devices, each of which can be used to guide afluid medium over in each case one surface of an object which is to becleaned, in particular of a semiconductor production means (9), so thatdifferent sides of the object (9) can be cleaned simultaneously, atleast two gas feed devices (5) for introducing a cleaning gas which isunder superatmospheric pressure opening out into a cleaning chamber(42), the gas feed devices (5) each having a means (50) for directing agas stream onto a surface of the object (9) which is to be cleaned, atleast two suction means (53), by means of which gas which has beenintroduced into the cleaning chamber (42) can be discharged, leading outof the cleaning chamber (42), and a support being present for holdingthe object (9) in the cleaning chamber (42), in which apparatus theobject (9) can be introduced into the cleaning chamber (42) through atleast one gap (56) in the cleaning chamber (42), gas and particleslocated in the cleaning chamber (42) can be ionized using at least twoionization means (51), in each case one ionization means (51) beinglocated between in each case one directing means (50) and one suctiondevice (53).
 2. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1,characterized in that the gap (56) is no more than 2 mm wider than athickness of the object.
 3. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in one ofclaims 1 or 2, characterized in that the suction device (53) is in eachcase formed in the vicinity of the gap (56).
 4. The cleaning apparatusas claimed in one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the suctiondevice (53) is in each case formed with a passage which is delimited bythe gap (56).
 5. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claims 1 to 4,characterized in that the support has a displaceable gripper (43, 47).6. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 5, characterized in thatthe object (9) which is to be cleaned can be introduced into and removedfrom the cleaning chamber (42) by means of the displaceable gripper (43,47).
 7. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in one or more of thepreceding claims, characterized in that the cleaning chamber (42) is ofsubstantially symmetrical construction with respect to the plane inwhich the object (9) which is to be cleaned can be introduced into thechamber (42) through the gap (56).
 8. The cleaning apparatus as claimedin one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that thesuction devices (53) are arranged substantially in the direction of flow(58) of the gas with respect to the directing means (50).
 9. Thecleaning apparatus as claimed in one of the preceding claims,characterized by a detection device (6) for detecting soiling on objects(9).
 10. The use of the cleaning apparatus as claimed in one or more ofthe preceding claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it is used to cleanboth sides of intermediate products of semiconductor components (9)simultaneously.
 11. An apparatus for storing objects (9) fromsemiconductor production, in particular reticles, comprising a housingwhich is closed on all sides and in which there is a storage device withstorage spaces for receiving and storing the objects (9), a handlingdevice for handling the objects within the housing, and adischarge/introduction station for the objects in order for them to betaken out of and moved into the storage device, characterized in that acleaning device as described in one of claims 1 to 9 is present in thehousing for cleaning deposited particles from the objects.
 12. Theapparatus as claimed in claim 11, characterized by a detection device(6), which is arranged in the housing, for detecting soiling onsemiconductor production means.
 13. The apparatus as claimed in claim12, characterized in that the detection device has at least one means(30, 31) for emitting light, by which at least one light beam, inparticular a laser beam, can be guided onto at least one surface of theobject (9), there is at least one receiver means (28, 29), by which thelight reflected from the object (9) is received and is fed to anevaluation unit in the form of a measurement signal, and this evaluationunit determines, on the basis of the measurement signal, whether theobject is soiled (32, 33).
 14. A method for cleaning objects (9) fromsemiconductor production, in which, to remove soiling (32, 33), a fluidmedium (58) is passed over the object (9), characterized in that theobject is arranged in a cleaning chamber having the cleaning apparatusas claimed in claims 1 to 9, in which a gaseous medium is introduced andthe medium which has been passed over the object is extracted.
 15. Themethod as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the medium at leastpredominantly contains nitrogen.